All That I Have
by KaraKurama
Summary: Ever wonder why Stein passed Maka and Soul after their battle at his lab? How his past influenced the man he is today.
1. Pilot

Note: This is my first attempt at a Soul Eater story. I'm doing this for a fellow deviantartist whose artwork I fell in love with. I'm writing this as a background story for a specific picture: 

http: // oryx-gazella . deviantart . com/ art/ SxS-92-All-That-I-Have-123036735

_Pilot Chapter: All That I Have_

_Part One- Arrogance_

It was the day of the big exam; that annual cumulative exam that clearly indicated who would become a death scythe and who their meister would be. As class was starting, the two top students sat in the front row. As the teacher walked in, one young meister stood up on top of the table and turned to the class.

"Now everyone take your seats! It's time to start the test!" The teacher rolled his eyes, silently cursing the teenager who always announced his arrival. "Thank you, Stein, you may sit down now," he said. The student sat down next to his partner and chuckled, "Spirit, we're gonna get the top scores as always. Maybe we should skip class and finish making you a death scythe."

The weapon chuckled, "Nice one, Stein, but I'd rather graduate. We're too close now to mess it up with your antics. We're only 3 souls and a witch away from finishing, so we can go out and check the board after class."

"Yeah, sure."

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Said board was full of assignments at the end of the day. One in particular caught Stein's eye. A powerful witch was surfacing near Death City with the power of invisibility. It was a mission normally reserved for three star meisters; the adults of the school. No way, Stein thought. He took the slip to the desk and handed it to the clerk.

The woman looked at the slip then the two students, "You aren't qualified for this assignment. Pick another one."

Just as Spirit was about to rip the slip from his partner's hands, the intercom activated.

"SPIRIT ALBARN AND FRANKEN STEIN REPORT TO THE DEATH ROOM." Spirit froze in place. The only time students were called to the Death Room was when they were either being expelled or given remedial lessons.

"Stein, Lord Death is calling us. Maybe we should go before he comes to hunt us down." Stein had the same terrified look in his eyes, "Yeah, I guess. What could Lord Death want with us?"

"I don't know. Let's go find out."

"Okay."

_Part Two- Assignment_

"Stein, Spirit, I think you need a lesson." The boys froze. Lord Death was intimidating even when he wasn't fighting. He had said lesson…okay. That meant that they were going to be hunting, but what kind of lesson was it supposed to be?

"What sort of lesson is it, sir?" Stein asked.

"Well, I know that you two are the brightest and strongest of your class so I have an extracurricular lesson for you. It involves a witch much stronger than the one on that paper you were carrying."

Spirit's face was contorted in confusion, "But that one was for three star meisters and the clerk told us to pick a lower ranked one. How are we supposed to do a stronger one?"

Shinigami chuckled, "If you pass this one you'll be upgraded to three stars anyway, so I don't see a difference. This witch has a whole group of souls under her command and is terrorizing Japan. She's also a shape shifter, so you need to be on your guard. I'm sending you because I believe you two are the best choice in this situation since Stein can manipulate his wavelength to match an opponent."

"Sir, you do realize what this means if we succeed…" Spirit said calmly.

"Yes, I do. You'll become a death scythe."

"When shall we leave?" Stein piped in.

"Right away. I've already excused you from class. Go to Kyoto to start off with. That's where the latest reports have come in from. Good luck, boys. I hope to see you return multitudes stronger."

The two teenagers bowed deeply to their headmaster and left the room. As they got to the outside of the door, Stein stopped short, "I'm going to make you a death scythe! I can't believe it!"

"I know," said Spirit excitedly, "I'll be one of the youngest ever. Lord Death is down to his last Death Scythe right now. He's getting ready to retire, too, so we'll be needing new ones. I hear Marie and Azuza are getting close, too."

"They're getting kinda close, but nowhere near as close as us." The boys arrived at their room and began to pack. Stein finished quickly, not needing much but still enough to load down a duffle bag. Spirit, on the other hand, couldn't decide what to pack and was taking forever on getting his clothes together. His partner grabbed him by the shirt and tossed him out of the room, "If you are gonna act like a girl, then get the hell outta my way and I'll pack for you."

_End Pilot_

A/N: I hope you enjoyed my first Soul Eater installment. Again, if you enjoy this, please pay a visit to my inspiration. 

I hope to get plenty of feedback on this story. There's much more to come and I would like to get this moving.

Thanks!

CS5/ KaraKurama


	2. Japan

Note: for this story I'm assuming that Stein hasn't developed/perfected his soul force technique yet. That'll come in later

_Chapter One_

_Part One: Japan_

The weather in Japan was stormy. Dark clouds covered the skies for much of the time the boys were visiting. The tropical storm season was kicking off with a bang in east Asia and the weapon-meister pair arrived in the middle of a typhoon just before all flights were grounded.

The heavy rains and near constant lightning strikes made outside travel too dangerous for the first two days of the mission. Stein spent time in front of the mirror talking to Shinigami, trying to get information on the location of the witch. According to records, she was continually moving between Kyoto, Tokyo, and Nagasaki. Current sightings placed her in Kyoto, but she was nowhere to be found.

"She must be using soul protect. There's no way a strong witch could hide her soul in a huge city like this. Where could she be hiding?" Stein asked, frustrated.

"The east Asia branch is looking for her as we speak. Once I have information, I'll relay it to you. If needed, I will send them over to help you in the event the fight becomes too much for you." Shinigami answered.

"We won't be needing help, sir. Spirit and I can handle this witch on our own."

"I don't know, Stein. I'd feel more comfortable if you had backup."

"You can send it but we won't need it. Lord Death, you sent us here for a reason. If you're doubting us then why did you bother?"

"I sent you because you are the strongest we have here, yes, but you are still young and inexperienced. You need the guidance of others to make sure your decisions are right."

Stein could only roll his eyes. The situation was sticky, but Lord Death had put his foot down, so to speak, and would only let them go on if they had backup.

"Very well. We'll accept help from the east Asia branch."

A sigh of relief could be seen in Shinigami's expression as he sighed, "Thanks for cooperating. All I can hope is that you don't need help."

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

The storm raged on as information streamed into the apartment that Stein and Spirit shared in Kyoto. The eastern branch had been tracking the witch for 5 days and the boys were getting ready to close in on her location. The souls surrounding her were growing and eventually, she stuck out like a sore thumb even though she herself was under the radar.

At the end of the fifth day the rain stopped. Stein and Spirit went out to train before seeking out the witch's hideout just off the coast. The wavelengths coming off of the captive souls were overwhelming. The feeling was close to that of taking off in a jet. The pressure was great they could feel it even from the center of town. In the middle of training, a woman approached the two boys, "Franken Stein and Spirit Albarn?"

Stein stopped in his tracks, holding Spirit upright and leaning him against his shoulder, "Yes? I'm Stein. What can I do for you?"

"I am the temporary head of the east Asia branch of Shibusen. Lord Death sent me to see you off. We've pinpointed the witch to an island off the coast near Tokyo. We will be escorting you there then you will continue to the island alone."

"Tokyo? I thought she was here in Kyoto."

"Until about an hour ago so did we. However, she finally released her soul protect and we managed to get her off the coast. We believe she's changing forms to throw us off but we know that you can read her like a book, Stein."

Stein just sat in wonder. The witch was constantly changing forms to throw off Shibusen's radar, but did she even anticipate his ability to manipulate wavelengths? Did she even know he was there?

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

_Part Two: Contact_

The ride to Tokyo was a long one, but Stein and Spirit were confident that everything would go according to plan. The power coming from the captive souls was more intense than ever. The pressure was staggering; it was a wonder no one else could feel it.

"We've been waiting for the opportunity to take this witch out for a while. Lord Death finally found someone strong enough to bring in without a very high risk. You two may be young but you seem strong enough for this."

"We'll do fine. Lord Death picked us for a reason. This witch will be down by this time tomorrow." Stein stated.

"We hope so."

"Trust me, she will."

The next day began early. The boys ate a quick breakfast before getting ready to depart. The first wave of souls was starting to move. It was apparent that the witch knew someone was coming.

"Shall we begin, Spirit?" Stein asked his partner.

"Yeah." Spirit answered as he transformed. The partners launched their way across the water to the island where the witch was hiding.

Off in the distance, a child sat in the shadows of a cave, sitting quietly thinking to herself, 'Come, Shibusen. I'm waiting for you.'

_End_


	3. Confrontation

_Chapter Two: Confrontation_

Terra firma loomed ahead for the two teens as they approached the island where the witch was said to be hiding. A large black mass was at the edge of the beach, seemingly waiting for them to arrive.

"Spirit, we're almost there." Stein said charismatically. His weapon's wavelengths pulsed in preparation. Spirit was ready to sync with his partner's power, "Her shape shifting ability will be a hindrance, though, don't you think?"

"I don't really think so. You can always sense a witch's soul. It's too different from humans' souls to blend in perfectly."

"Except for soul protect."

"If she's using her powers she can't be using soul protect."

But he was wrong. Nowhere could they sense the witch they were hunting. The witch was blocking her waves from them and thus was most likely in a form they could not easily discern from others, meaning they would have trouble picking her out from her captives. The feeling of impending failure crept upon the meister as he approached his target, but the sensation was quickly cast aside, 'There's no way we'll fail. We're stronger than any pair in the history of the school. This witch won't know what hit her.'

Finally they touched ground. The black mass they'd seen was none other than the hostages she'd taken to slow them down. They stood guarding a large cave which seemed to go deep into the heart of the island. As they confronted the people in front of them, a whisper could be heard in the wind. It was faint, almost nothing, but it was there, 'You will not succeed,' it said. Spirit shuddered.

"Don't let her get to you, Spirit. We'll find her and make sure she pays for her crimes. I'll make you a death scythe before the hour is up." Stein said sheepishly.

"Let's go get her, partner." The sleek scythe was fluidly motioned through the air in an effort to clear a path to the cave. Stein maneuvered him with a mastery only the most experienced meisters exhibited. The captives came in droves, launching themselves towards the intruders in an effort to protect their controller as if they'd been loyal to her always. Spirit cut through them tens at a time, knocking them all away in a matter of minutes. His partner snickered as he leaned against him, "That wasn't so hard. Now all we need to do is find this witch."

Just as they started to enter the cave, a voice came over the speaker of his communicator, "Stein, Spirit, we have important news! You need to hear this!" It was the woman who had been in contact with them from the local branch.

Stein rolled his eyes and answered, "What is it? I thought I said we didn't need any help."

"The captives! They aren't what you think they are. Don't kill them."

"Too late for that, lady. You should've caught us sooner." Stein spat back. The whole lot was defeated and the necessary ones absorbed to complete the 99 Kishin soul collection required to complete Spirit's death scythe transformation, "All we need is the witch and I'll have created the first death scythe of my generation."

"You don't understand! It's not-" Stein shut off the radio. He'd heard enough of that woman's blabber. He was going to finish off this witch. He took Spirit from his resting position and ran into the cave, leaving the radio behind him, 'I should've known accepting help would only hold me back.'

The cavern was dark and musty. The only thing penetrating the pitch black was the sound of water dripping from the ceiling and down the walls. The floor was slimy and threatened to destabilize Stein if he didn't tread carefully. As the light from outside disappeared behind them, a faint light could be seen flickering ahead, ushering the boys towards it as if someone were calling for them with it. Stein moved forward, his only option if he wanted to stop this witch and reach his goal of creating the generation's first death scythe.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

A group of Shibusen agents appeared outside the cave. The captives all lay either unconscious or dead from their encounter with Stein. Their leader, the woman who had just attempted to contact Stein, looked over the bodies with a look of unease. Lord Death had contacted her and told her the information she had tried to relay to the boys. Spirit and Stein's chances were slim to none now. Nothing they would do could help them, nor could Spirit become a death scythe at this point in time.

Just as the first shouts could be heard from the cave, the 'captives' forms began to change.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

The light ahead turned out to be a campfire. A small girl sat next to it, shivering and crying for her parents as the boys reached her. The appearance of this girl threw Stein off, 'Where did she come from? This island is so remote and there wasn't any sign of anyone else here.' He approached her, doing his best not to move suddenly in the fear that she would panic. The child trembled and crouched tighter and closer to the wall she had been leaning against. The terror was drawn on her face very clearly. The little girl's tears flowed freely as her small body shrank against the cold stone.

Spirit shifted back to human form and approached the girl while Stein stayed behind him. He crept towards her slowly to avoid startling her any more than she already was.

"What are you doing here, little girl. There's a dangerous witch here. It's not safe for you to be in this cave right now."

The girl stared into the eyes of the weapon, calming down a little before opening her mouth to speak, "My mom and dad left me here so they could go get some food. They've been gone all day. I'm so scared of the dark. It's really wet in here, too. What about this witch? There's no one here but me."

"Who were all the people outside? Where did they come from? You must know if you've been in here this long."

"What people? I told you there's no one here but me."

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Trisha, the woman heading the east Asia branch, looked on in shock as the captives' bodies changed before her eyes. The seemingly human shapes molded into rocks and water. The raging torrent lashed its way back to the ocean where it disappeared. The surprised woman quickly grabbed for her communicator to signal to the students inside the cave, "Stein! This is EAS, please respond."

After a moment of silence, the scraggly voice of Stein came back over the radio, "What is it?"

"Are you experiencing anything unusual down there yet? Any sign of the witch?"

"No. Spirit and I found a child, though. She's frightened and asking for her parents. She says there's no one on the island but her."

"I can vouche for that. Those captives weren't human."

"What do you mean?"

"They were ocean spirits the witch trapped in human disguises. You need to get out of there now! Leave the child and get back here."

"There's nothing to worry about. If there's no one here then what's the rush?" As soon as the words were out of the speaker, Trisha could tell that Stein was regretting his words and had already answered his own question. Nonetheless, she replied, "Don't forget your target witch is a shape-shifter. Her favorite form is that of young girls. You need to get o-"

It was then that the signal cut out. All that could be heard from the cave was the sound of metal clashing against rock before she ordered her people inside.

_End_


	4. Illusionniste

Note: Please excuse the chapter title. If the French is bad it's because I don't know any. LOL but it's the witch's name.

_Chapter Three: Illusionniste D'Corps_

"Don't forget the witch is a shape-shifter. Her favorite form is that of young girls. You need to get o-"

Spirit's quick thinking saved his partner's back. The scythe stuck in the ground in front of Stein as the flash of green light ricocheted off his black blade and smashed into the rock wall opposite the pair. The radio fell against the stone floor and shattered, sending bits of the inner computer chips scattering across the ground around them. The boys dodged blow after blow as the girl fired her magic.

"Stein, this must be the witch." Spirit stated, "We need to defeat her and claim her soul before she causes any more damage."

"I can see that, Spirit. We need to find her weakness."

"Are you two silly boys talking about me? I'm just a helpless little girl," the witch said as she fired her next shot.

"You aren't an innocent little girl. We heard the radio. You're a shape shifter than takes the form of young girls to lure your victims into isolated places. We know all about you," Stein said calmly, "Show us who you really are, Illusionniste D'Corps. Your soul is ours now."

"I don't think so, boy. Even your three start meisters can't defeat me. What makes you think a student could?"

"Spirit, are you ready?"

"I've been ready since we got to Japan, partner." Spirit answered enthusiastically. Stein took stance with Spirit in his right hand.

The pair began to throw their wavelengths back and forth. As the power began to rise, they shouted the signature weapon- meister chant to flow their energy, "SOUL RESONANCE." The power flowed, and the meister began to prepare his weapon for the most famous skill a scythe meister had: the Witch Hunter.

"Stein, the witch hunter is the most important move we have. Let's not waste it."

"It'll be fine, Spirit. Let's go." Stein said as he positioned the scythe behind his head. The resonance frequency increased, and the mad look in his eyes turned to pure power, "WITCH HUNTER!"

The massive energy release rocketed towards Illusionniste. She only smiled. Stretching out her arms, Illusionniste caught the blast and held it in place. Her own energy began to surround it, slowing squeezing it until it finally popped. The witch hunter shattered, and its creator was thrown backwards into the wall. Stein hit the ground panting. He held a hand to his head, the only injury he could feel. When he pulled it away the hand was covered in blood.

"Are you okay, Stein?" Spirit asked.

"I have a head injury. I should be fine, it's just a scratch." Stein responded. In truth, his head was spinning and his vision was blurred. He knew he had to end this fight quickly. As he regained his focus, he could hear chanting. Looking over to Illusionniste, Stein realized what was going on. Before he could respond or dodge, a giant green blast was headed for him. His battered knees and scraped elbows couldn't get him off the ground fast enough. The enormous light surprisingly absorbed into his body. Before he could be confused it hit him. It felt as if his body had imploded. Blood shot from his mouth and nose as the meister slumped into a crouch on the ground.

"I may look like a child but my power rivals even the oldest witches. Shinigami should've known better than to send to teenage boys after me. As a matter of fact, as a reward for finding me, I'll give you another shot of my hypnotic spell." The same green mass began to build up in front of her. Once it reached the size of a basketball, Illusionniste released the energy shot towards Stein again.

Knowing his partner was about to die, Spirit quickly tried to pull Stein away, but he could not budge him. Instead, he stood in front of him. The shot hit Spirit full force in the chest. No sound escaped the weapon's lips. He only crumpled to the ground, unmoving. Stein slowly crawled in front of him. Spirit's head was propped on his arm and his other arm was under his body giving it support. It seemed the weapon was dead. Stein shook him lightly, "Spirit! Spirit, don't leave me here alone. SPIRIT!" His efforts were not in vain. His partner moaned lightly, giving the sign that he was at least alive. His clothes were tattered and torn, his hair askew across his face and arm and every inch of him was covered in dirt.

After a soft chuckle, Illusionniste began to walk towards the boys, "I told you they should've sent more powerful fighters. You two were too naïve and were drawn in by a lonely little girl. You should learn how to read a soul instead of trusting your eyes. Your weapon decided he wanted to be the first to feel my wrath. Now, for being so noble, I'll let him be the first to die by my hands. Goodbye, Shibusen brats." As she approached, her arm grew to the length of a sword and sharpened to look like a jagged rock-like weapon.

Stein knew the end was coming, but somehow, he had the feeling he needed to protect his partner as he had done for him. He climbed over the weapon's body like a dog standing over a cowering challenger and sneered at Illusionniste with a wild look in his eyes, "I won't let you get near him!" He yelled loud enough to echo throughout the cave.

O-O-O-O-O-O-O

Trisha heard the metal clanging end and she wondered if the fight was over. Nothing could be heard. The uneasy feeling was almost overwhelming. They needed backup. The witch was killing them, if they weren't already dead. Something needed to be done.

"All of you stay here. I'm going in to help Stein."

O-O-O-O-O-O-O-O

As Stein covered his partner's body with his own, he could feel a slight brush on his arm, then pressure as a hand wrapped around his wrist. He looked down slowly, the sight of Spirit's hand gripping his gave him relief, "Spirit."

"It's okay, Stein. I can change back to weapon form and fight with you. I'll be okay. We need to beat her," the weapon weakly spat out.

The meister helped his partner to his feet and the boys stared at their enemy. The witch gave a soft chuckle before charging another energy blast, "Boy, your weapon can barely stand. There's no way you'll be able to beat me. The next attack that hits you will be the last."

Spirit transformed and Stein stood ready to fight. As the blast charged, Illusionniste tried attacking with her own bodily weapon. Stein used Spirit to dodge blow after blow until the girl finally jumped back and fired her magic. Stein dodged quickly though his injuries prevented him from moving far. The loss of blood was quickly draining energy from the meister's body and his weapon was in the same situation. Blood flowed freely along the blade and handle of the black scythe and Stein could tell from his wavelength that Spirit wasn't going to be able to maintain his weapon form for very much longer.

Shuffling footsteps could be heard just a few hundred yards back towards the entrance. Stein was fuzzy, but he managed to realize that Trisha was on her way down to help them. He knew that he had to cover himself until the help arrived, but that was easier said than done. Illusionniste was pounding them with attacks now, each blast bigger and more concentrated than the last. Stein used what little energy he and Spirit had left to set up at Spirit Body dummy. The large bubble-like creature cried as the magic hit it.

Finally, just as Trisha's light could be seen, the final blast hit the dummy and it disintegrated. It blew right through and struck the boys. Trisha watched in horror as both Stein and Spirit smashed into the wall. The weapon clanged to the floor and seconds later returned to human form. His clothes where tattered beyond recognition and numerous scrapes and lacerations could be seen across his body. His partner slumped to the ground just a few feet away. Stein had a very obvious head injury; blood flowed freely down his face and was gathering in a pool next to where his head lay on the stone. Neither was moving and, judging from their injuries, Trisha didn't believe that status would be changing soon. The boys were severely injured, unconscious, and most likely dying from internal injuries, 'I need to get them out of here and get help. They could die if I leave them here.'

Stein and Spirit were dead to the world, and now it was up to Shibusen's Asia Branch leader to finish the job. Trisha began to charge up her own soul wavelength and gave Illusionniste, who was standing over the boys' bodies, a darkest glare she could give.

The final battle was on.

_END_

**Note: I need reviews. I'm getting lots of hits on this story but only one review. If you want me to post the final chapter then I need to know that my work isn't wasted.**


	5. Aftermath and Present Day

**Note: Well, I was hoping for more reviews, but I won't have much time to write this anymore so I need to finish it now.**

**I hope those of you reading this are enjoying the story. I know I'm getting lots of hits on this so I would appreciate some reviews. Feedback is nice, even if you are giving me a reason why you DON'T like it. There's always a possibility of rewriting it in the future. The one thing I do not want requested: a change in my writing style. Every author is unique. If you don't like the way I write, then please rewrite it with my information and show me how you think it should be written. I cannot change just because I don't meet your standards.**

_Chapter Four Part One: Aftermath_

Trisha managed to bring help after driving off Illusionniste and upon her return, the woman could see that her charges were in greater need of help than she first realized. They boys lay on the floor, unmoving and dirty beyond recognition. Stein's grayish white hair was matted with blood which also coated his shirt and the stone around him. His partner was in much the same condition visually; matted, bloody hair (harder to tell since it was already red) and clothes were the signature appearance. Only one thing caused the rescuers to focus more on the weapon than his meister: Spirit wasn't breathing.

Stein was panting in his sleep, giving Trisha the obvious sign that he was alive. However, the boy next to him was deathly still. He had taken the most severe attacks from the witch in weapon form and a much worse one in human form. He was lucky to at least be in once piece, even if he was dead. Stein was quickly stabilized and prepped for transport back to Shibusen. His head was wrapped in gauze and most of his clothes removed for monitors to attach and for bloody remnants to be disposed of. Once the meister was on his way back to school, the medical team could focus on Spirit. His injuries were much worse. Deep cuts were the most prominent feature on his face and arms, his clothes torn to shreds. His red hair contained a mix of mud, blood, and water. What was left of his shirt was removed and the team began to attempt resuscitation. The boy's eyes were wide open and glazed, the worst look and Trisha's fear, 'He's dead. There's no way he survived all those hits. His body's even telling us. It looks like the young meister Stein lost his partner; and just a few days before graduation. How will we explain this to his parents?' Her thoughts ran rampant. This would cause problems for Lord Death. Not only had he chosen students to send on the mission, but it was the most powerful witch of the era and he had sent one star meisters to do the job.

However, just as she was getting ready to contact the school and report the death of the student, Trisha heard someone yell that he was alive. She returned to his side and, unbelievably, could see his chest rise and fall with each breathe he took. They were pained, and he winced with each one, but he was alive nonetheless. Now, with his condition stabilized, Spirit was prepped for transport and slowly the team all returned to Shibusen to care for them.

The recovery was long and painful. Stein woke up after a day feeling well enough to get up. His injuries had mostly healed with the exception of the large gash on his head. He was up and walking around again by the end of that day and even managed to go to graduation practice two days later. The rest of the school knew what had happened and Shinigami-sama himself was present when Stein awoke in his bed.

His partner was another story. Spirit was still in a coma after four days and risked missing graduation. Upon arrival, both boys had been washed up, so his red hair was normal again. His face, with all the blood removed, was bruised and had obviously been through a beating but worst of all was the gaping wound on his head and severely burned chest. It was obvious that the witch's most powerful attack had hit that spot.

Both boys' parents had arrived for the ceremony and Stein was spending the day with his while Spirit's were at his bedside contemplating what to do for his graduation. His father held his mother while she wept. Her young man was severely injured and wasn't showing any signs of waking up in time to earn his certificate and become a three star weapon. Both were grateful that Stein was okay, but they couldn't help but wonder why their son had protected him so. But when they remembered the boy's philosophy that a weapon must always be prepared to die for his meister the couple realized that Spirit would be through a lot more situations like this and may even have to face the same scenario with his own children one day.

The next day, Stein was visiting with his parents when the monitors skipped a beat and began to beep faster. As everyone was preparing to panic, the nurse, a beautiful young woman in her early 20's, entered the room. After a moment of looking at the monitor she made her announcement, "He's waking up. That racing in the monitors is his body preparing to awaken. Mr and Mrs Albarn, your son will be able to graduate tomorrow. I will begin getting him up and around as soon as he wakes up. But for me to be successful, I need everyone to leave. I can't have him distracted when I'm trying to get him ready to graduate."

A slight moan signaled the boy's first conscious thought, and everyone, after saying how happy they were to see him awake, left the room to allow the nurse to do her duty. And so the recuperation began.

_Chapter Four Part Two: Present_

Stein sat in awe at the young weapon and meister pair before him. The girl, the meister, was in control of the situation fully and even had control of the most powerful techniques at her disposal. The witch hunter was looming in his face, but he knew how to be rid of it. Her name was Maka, and Stein was going to show her just what another scythe meister could do. Her technique was still a little too sloppy, much like his had been with his own partner years ago. Even after nearly fifteen years, he could see him in her. Maka truly was Spirit's child in her own right.

He shattered her witch hunter, sending her flying. As she hit the ground, he could feel her weapon's waves surge as he prepared to return to human form. Stein approached the girl, pretending to look like he was going to finish her off when the boy sprang up and covered his meister's body, yelling that he wouldn't let Stein near his meister.

The man was shocked. Here before him, Spirit's daughter and her weapon had recreated the same situation they themselves had been in when they were students at the academy. Images of that day flashed in his head: the witch firing her magic, Stein and Spirit being thrown about the cave, the weapon hitting the floor in a dead heap, and, most importantly, the meister himself covering his partner with his own body and denying the witch access, just as the young pair were exhibiting before him.

"I'll start with you, then." Stein said as he moved toward the young weapon. Placing his hand on the boy's head, he gave a soft chuckle and said, "You pass."

_END_

_That's the end of All That I Have. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to get some feedback from you. This final chapter was hard to write because it took place beyond the scope of my vision for the story, which had ended, in my mind, after the battle between the boys and Illusionniste. If you do not like this chapter and have any ideas how it could be improved, please let me know and I could fix it later on when I come up with more ideas for rewriting._

_Also, please note that I wrote this chapter at 1 in the morning after working a close shift at my job, so I'm tired and not very into writing at this time, but I have no internet and can't do anything else until the morning so this story ending sprang up._

_Also, I could very well end up writing an alternate story ending to this one if I get the time. It would end up being a sort of parallel story line to the original series. If you want it, please let me know. I'll only do if it I get enough reviews._

_Until then, ja ne._

_KaraKurama/ CS5_


	6. ALTERNATE ENDING

All That I Have ALTERNATE ENDING

_This is obviously not going to be canon, as you will soon find out, because the plot of this alternate chapter is completely inaccurate to the anime/manga storyline._

_Since I have plenty of hits (not quite as many reviews as I'd like) I'll post this alternate ending to the story for my reader's enjoyment._

**ALTERNATE ENDING: AFTERMATH**

Trisha's battle with Illusionniste raged on, but with each hit on the witch she produced ten more that continued to batter the already destroyed cave entrance. Unfortunately, almost everything was unrecognizable, which left Trisha wondering after each shot if the boys were going to survive the constant bombardment of both stray shots and falling debris from the cave. In the moments between hits, a slight moan could be heard from the wall where they were lying; the very spot they'd both fallen not just defeated, but dying as well. However, one of them was moving.

Trisha looked at the boy in surprise, 'They were both unconscious. How in the world would he be able to open his eyes let alone move?' Taking advantage of the lull in Illusionniste's attacks, Trisha made her way to the boy as he struggled to his feet. The dirt and blood caking his head made it nearly impossible to tell who it was, but after a moment of looking into his eyes, she could tell.

"Spirit, you shouldn't be moving. Your injuries are far too serious for you to be mobile. Lay yourself back down and rest." The boy shook his head and looked weakly up at her, "I can't. It's my job to stop her. I can still fight."

"No, Spirit, don't do this to yourself. Besides, you have no meister right now. Stein isn't getting up anytime soon and you are in the same boat. There's no way you'll be able to retain your weapon form with those serious injuries."

"Then I'll fight with my fists."

"You'll be killed!"

"Then I die." Spirit broke through Trisha's grasp and charged at the witch with one last burst of energy as his superior screamed his name through the cavern. He didn't listen, however, and appeared in front of Illusionniste fists flying. Several of the punches connected, but only served to anger her more than hurt her. With one large burst of magic, Illusionniste solidified her power into her sword-like weapon and thrust it as hard as she could at the boy, "You stubborn child. I'll make quick work of you. You'll stay down this time, a guarantee it."

Trisha saw the attack coming and lunged for the duo to prevent Illusionniste from stabbing Spirit. She slammed into the student with all her might and they hit the ground together with her shielding her charge from any further injury. Trisha glanced up at the witch just enough to see that she was no longer holding her sword and was smiling widely as if to say she'd won.

And that she had. The woman knew her opponent's look could only mean one thing: she had succeeded.

The boy beneath her arms was still and completely silent. His body was tense as if afraid to move or even try to breathe. Panicking, Trisha rolled Spirit to his back and could see the blade protruding from his chest at an odd angle that would most certainly be fatal. He was panting heavily and his eyes stared right through her as if what he was looking at was not visible to the human eye. She gathered him in her arms and smacked his face, yelling at him to stay awake. Her attempts were futile. Both she and Spirit were completely coated in blood and the panting, still body in her arms was growing weaker by the second. The heavy pants became labored, shallow breaths and his blinking got slower as his eyes struggled to open with each passing second. Eventually, the boy's eyes slipped closed and did not open again. The slow, steady chest expansion stopped and Trisha could feel his pulse die away.

Spirit Albarn was dead.

She tried to shake him awake again, even pulled out the sword and attempted CPR, but nothing worked. Any blood flow only served to empty his body further of the precious liquid as the hole in his chest passed through his heart. There was no revival with this injury.

Trisha radioed the team and slowly put Spirit down against the cave floor. Knowing there was now nothing she could do for the young weapon, she moved on to his partner. Stein was heavily battered but alive, so Trisha did a quick check of his still form to see the extent of his visual injuries. A few lacerations and the major gash on his head were all the physical signs she could see, but those hits in which he hit the wall would likely have caused internal injuries. Almost every inch of his body was covered in bruises, some bleeding, some ugly shades of colors you wouldn't think belonged on the human body.

A group of men bustled to his side, surrounding him while quickly tending to his injuries. Trisha stood outside the group, watching intently as they worked to stabilize him. All the while she thought about Spirit. He had given his life to drive the witch away, to allow her to prove her point so she'd leave. Sending students was the biggest mistake Shibusen ever made, and Trisha had the feeling the school was going to be in trouble for the death of a student. 

As the boat arrived to take them home, Trisha made it her duty to watch over Spirit. She felt responsible for the boy's death and wanted to personally tell his family of his actions. As her communicator buzzed she began to dread telling anyone else about what happened. But when she picked it up and saw Shinigami waiting for her, she calmed herself enough to officiate her report.

"Trisha, did the boys succeed? How are they?"

She looked down before answering, her emotions running rampant at the sight of the dead student by her side, "Stein is severely injured. We have managed to mend most of his external injuries, but he needs to be monitored for the possibility of internal injuries. I believe he may have damage to his lungs and abdomen. He's being treated as we speak. I have all my men working on him right now."

"And what about Spirit? Is he uninjured then? Let me speak to him so I can congratulate him."

Trisha's face wrinkled a bit before turning the com to the face Spirit, "He's dead, sir. The witch killed him before I could get them out. I just barely managed to save Stein." She turned the com back to herself and could see her boss's sulken face as he sighed and fell silent.

After a moment she could hear him talk again, "I'll call his family. Just get his body home in one piece, okay, Trish?"

"Yes, sir," she managed to say before the com went blank. She was now tasked with getting her injured charge home safely and transporting Spirit to Shibusen where he would be honored and then laid to rest.

-END-

_If I get some feedback on this Alternate Ending I might continue it. I have an idea that may work, but if my readers want me to continue on from here the I'd like to know that._

_Hope you enjoyed my alternate ending. See you soon!_


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